Colombia, Rebels Debate How American Got Free

April 05, 1998|By From Tribune News Services.

BOGOTA, Colombia — Leftist rebels who seized four American bird watchers have disputed a claim that one escaped while his captors were sleeping, saying instead that they freed him as a sign of good will.

Colombia's army said Saturday it doubted the rebels' version and called on the guerrillas to free their remaining hostages.

In a communique read Friday over Bogota's Radio Super, a man calling himself Marco Aurelio from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said the rebels let Thomas Fiore go once they was convinced that none of the four captives had links to the U.S. government.

"As a demonstration of good will, we have freed Thomas Fiore safe and in good health," Aurelio said.

The rebels had said shortly after capturing the Americans that he would kill them if they were spies.

U.S. Ambassador Curtis Kamman said Fiore was safe; he also demanded the release of the other Americans, Louise Augustine, a 63-year-old retired teacher from Chillicothe, Ill.; Peter Shen of New York City; and Todd Marks. Marks' hometown was not available. The rebels are also holding an Italian businessman.

The Americans were on a bird-watching expedition when they came upon a March 23 roadblock set up by the guerrillas group, the nation's largest and most powerful rebels. The Italian was traveling separately.

Gen. Freddy Padilla, the local army commander, said Fiore had no reason to make up a story about his escape.

"If the (rebels) want to make a good faith gesture, or a humanitarian gesture, than they should just let the other hostages go," he said.

Fiore, of New York City, stumbled upon a television crew Thursday doing a story about his abduction near San Luis de Monsor, a jungle area 35 miles southeast of the capital, Bogota.

He told the crew in broken Spanish that he had eluded his captors while they were sleeping and then walked for hours through the rugged jungle.

He was flown to Bogota, but since then his whereabouts have been kept secret.

Colombia has the highest rate of kidnapping in the world, and rebels and criminals often pursue foreigners because they fetch the highest ransoms.

Several rebel groups have been fighting the government since the 1960s and have increasingly turned to kidnapping, extortion and working for drug traffickers to finance their insurgency.